Borosiloxanes exhibit peculiar physical characteristics which make them suitable for therapeutic use. Borosiloxane bouncing putties are shown, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 2,541,851, issued to Wright, and U.S. Pat. No. 3,677,997, issued to Kaiser et al. Both of these patents are fully incorporated by reference herein.
These bouncing putties have the peculiar characteristic of being able to be kneaded and worked as a putty-like material, while at the same time exhibiting elastic properties under a greater degree of force. A borosiloxane bouncing putty has long been commercially available as a toy under the trademark "SILLY PUTTY". Because of their characteristics, bouncing putties have found application in physical therapy to strengthen muscular control and performance of, e.g., patients'hands.
Because a lump of exercise putty is by its nature a shapeless mass, there is no easy way for a physical therapist (or the patient) to monitor the progress being made in manipulating the putty. Different amounts of kneading or manipulation will, in conventional exercise putties, create the same result--the same shapeless mass. There is no good way to measure the amount of manipulation which has been done. A need therefore exists for a method and apparatus to monitor the progress made by a patient in exercising his or her hands.